Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer — 9781466800113 — ****

Genre: Young Adult; Science Fiction; Retelling
Time to Read: 3 Days
Publication Date: 3 January 2012

Short Summary:
Cinder seems like an ordinary girl, but she has a gift and a curse. Her gift: She’s the best mechanic in New Beijing. She is so good, in fact, that the handsome and charming Prince Kai, himself, has asked her to repair one of his valuable androids. Her curse: She isn’t 100% human. When she was a girl, she was in an almost deadly accident. In order to save her life, scientists turned her into a cyborg, replacing a hand and a leg with robotic parts and adding a computer interface to her brain. Unfortunately, by saving her life and turning her into a cyborg, they also turned her into a second class citizen. Now, Cinder lives with her legal guardian (neither care to use the term “Step Mother”) and her step sisters, the haughty Pearl and the sweet-natured Peony, but she dreams of escaping and making a new life for herself somewhere where she can hide what she is and be free from scrutiny. She even has a plan, but when the plague and the hated and beautiful Lunar Queen comes to New Beijing, she finds her world turned upside down. Now Cinder, second class cyborg and mechanic, finds herself in love with a Prince and in a position to help him and his scientists save the world.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a cute retelling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella. This book is certainly literary popcorn: fun, light-weight, easy, and addicting. It is pretty predictable, but it’s very well written and there are a few twists that go in different directions than I expected. I don’t mind predictability too much, especially with a reinvention of a classic tale. Sometimes it’s a nice break. I find I can just read and relax when I have some idea of what’s going to happen. Cinder certainly let me do just that.

I loved the characters! The teen-aged mechanical mechanic, the handsome and kind prince, the somewhat crazy scientist, and the beautifully horrid Lunar queen. They’re all wonderfully written. Cinder and the Prince are both perfectly sympathetic. The Queen is perfectly evil, making people believe she is good, even though she is rotten under the skin. I’m not usually much for the Disney-esque “Prince in love with the commoner who is out to save the world” plots, but this one is fun and well written. Definitely worth the read. I’m looking forward to the sequel!

I recommend this one to anyone who likes fairy tales and retellings, and I think I am safe to say that even an advanced younger reader (an eight to ten year old reading beyond her reading level) can enjoy this book. (Note: I hope the remainder of the series sticks to Cinder‘s style, but some teen series start off safe for young readers and gradually become more young adult as the series progresses. I will review the sequels as they come out and make comment on content, but parents my want to preview these books before handing them off to a child under the age of twelve.)

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The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

The Tommyknockers by Stephen King — 9781101138405 — ****

Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Time To Read: 2 Months
Publication Date: 10 November 1987

Short Summary:
Bobbi Anderson is Haven, Maine’s local celebrity. The best selling author of Western novels lives on the farm she inherited from her uncle. The man was a little nutty, and Bobbi sometimes wonders if it came from living out here in this little town, but it’s quiet in Haven. The perfect place to escape from her cruel older sister’s claws and write her next best seller. One day, she is taking a walk in the woods behind the farm, her aging beagle Peter by her side, when she trips over something that is sticking out of the ground. Is it rock? No. It’s metal, but what is it? She begins to dig it up, but it’s huge. She doesn’t know how long she’s there digging before Peter brings her back to reality. They go back to the house, but Bobbie is now consumed with the need to dig, dig, dig.

James Eric Gardner (Gard ole Gard, as he often calles himself) is…was a renowned poet and professor of literature. Now he’s one of several poets participating in the New England Poetry Caravan, reading his poetry along side other writers for the free food and board and the stipend, so much as it is. That is, until he messes up and gets drunk. Now, he’s standing on the shore, a failed, drunken poet with no future and no hope. He’s ready to be done with it all. To jump into the sea and wash away with the rest of his career. But, suddenly, the feeling comes over him that Bobbi needs him. Bobbi Anderson, his one time student and lover and forever friend is in trouble. Deciding he can pick up his suicidal thoughts after he is sure that Bobbi is okay, he heads for Haven, where he finds that Bobbie, along with the rest of the small town, is different.

Haven is changing. Its residents are “becoming.” Becoming what? They don’t know, but it gives them power and insights beyond those any mere human could ever grasp. Telepathy, for one, and the ability to re-invent old junk wired with D-cell batteries into useful, and sometimes dangerous, tools for another. Whatever this Becoming is, it is making them more than human. They are consumed by it. They welcome it. Only Gard, Bobbi’s drunken old pal, seems immune. The metal plate in his head–a souvenir from a near-fatal skiing accident–is preventing him from becoming. Only he sees what’s really going on in Haven. If he puts down the bottle and opens his eyes, he could be dangerous. For now, he’s useful, and Bobbi likes him, so he stays. For now…

First off: It took me much longer than it should have to finish this book. I started it at the end of November, reading only on my breaks at work so I could work on my NaNoWriMo novel at home. Then it was holiday season at work. I was still writing at home, but my breaks at work became a time to recoup from the rush of the season, so I wasn’t doing much reading. After that, well, I was still doing no reading at home, so I just couln’t get through it fast. I could have, but I’m determined to write, so reading comes second right now. (A side note: I did read at least one book before this that I haven’t reviewed. May wait to review it until the next time I read it so it’s fresh in my mind)

The Tommyknockers, by Stephen King is, simply put, not simple to put. I read it  expecting “cheese” after having seen the mini-series as a kid, and have to say that I was, at first, disappointed that the mini-series didn’t follow it more closely. Then I was glad it strayed so far. Then I was relieved that the mini-series was only a vague resemblance of the novel. Stephen King is a builder. He starts off slow and relatively calm, then something happens in his plot, and it starts to build, getting more and more intense until your head wants to explode. The Tommyknockers holds true to that.

This novel is broken up into three parts: “Book I – The Ship in the Earth,” “Book II – Tales of Haven,” “Book III – The Tommyknockers.” Book I is, essentially, all about Bobbi’s discovery, and Gard’s arrival and involvement. By the time it ends, you’re already at the point where you feel like you’re going to lose it. Book II is about the people of Haven and the changes that are going on in the town. This part of the novel is a little bit of a break from the insanity of the rest. It starts off nearly as slow as the very beginning of the novel, and stays on a pretty even keel throughout, lulling you into the false belief that this is going to be the pace for the duration. Then Book III begins, and the plot takes off like a rocket, dragging you along screaming for the rest of the ride.

Book I was excellent. Book III was mind-blowing. I have to confess that I think Book II is the reason it took me so long to read the entire novel. While I was reading the first part, I was, as I said, trying to restrict my reading to at work only so I could get some serious writing done at home, but I snuck in a few hours here and there, because I needed to know what was happening. When it transitioned, however, I was content to read only on my breaks at work, even skipping days when I had a day off or when I found myself sharing the break room with one or more of my fellow employees. When Book III began to pick up, however, I had to read it to the conclusion, reading the last 40 pages and forgetting that the super bowl was on and my sister was enthusiastically cheering, then frustratingly jeering (her team lost, apparently) only four feet away from where I was reading. Of course, Book II was necessary. It introduced me to important characters that came into play at the end, and told me that Bobbi wasn’t the only one changing. It also is probably the only reason my head didn’t explode while I was reading this.

Overall, The Tommyknockers by Stephen King was more than I expected, and almost more than I could deal with without screaming (actually, a few times, I did have to put it down and let out a crazed “Aaah!” before I could continue). It isn’t a book for the faint of heart (or, on some occasions, the weak of stomach), but I recommend it to anyone who needs a little horror in their life.

Check out Stephen King’s website!

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The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury — 9780380973842 — ****

Genre: Science Fiction
Time to Read: Average 1 hour or less per story

Short Summary:
A young man on a walking tour of Wisconsin encounters a tall, powerful, tattooed–illustrated–man. The ink on the man’s skin tells of the future. Among the menagerie of art are tales of men on Mars, the rainy jungles of Venus, an Earth occupied by robots and a family that dreams of taking a trip into space. As the young traveler sits with the illustrated man, the latter shares his stories. The future is full of hope and horror, and the illustrated man knows it all.

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury is a collection of short stories that are tied together with an introduction about an illustrated man sharing stories of the future with a young traveler and ending with the illustrated man’s own story. All of the stories in the collection are science fiction, but they are otherwise unconnected, making this a great “book between books” title. I’ve been reading it in morsels for quite a while, but some of the short stories still stay with me, even after having read them months ago. Ray Bradbury is my favorite author, and his style shines through in each word. He is a master of metaphor, and even a one-page short story resonates in the heart and mind of a reader. I did like some of the stories better than others, which is to be expected, but when taken as a whole, The Illustrated Man is an amazing collection, and a must-read for anyone who enjoys Sci-Fi and is looking for a really well-written book.

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The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas — 2940000952726 — ****

Genre: Fiction
Time to Read: 43 days

Short Summary:
Young D’Artagnan has long dreamed of becoming a musketeer. When he decides it is time for him to join the king’s men, his father sends him with a letter of introduction to his friend, the captain of the king’s Musketeers. Along the way, the young upstart loses his letter of introduction, finds an enemy of the worst sort and has his heart captured by the beautiful Constance Bonacieux. He also finds himself the companion of three musketeers known as the inseparables: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The four men become close friends, watching out for one another and getting into trouble together. As the Duke of Buckingham is preparing to wage war on France, the four uncover a plot dreamed up by Cardinal Richelieu that could ruin the king of France and mean life or death for many, D’Artagnan included.

A novel filled with sword play, intrigue, humor and love, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas is an exciting read through and through. I’ve been vaguely familiar with the story for a long time, but there is so much more to it than I ever imagined! I didn’t expect to read this book, I must admit. It was on my list of books to read, but it was floating loosely among the ranks as a “maybe I’ll get to it someday, maybe I won’t” addition. I just happened to find it for free on my NOOK Color at a point in time when free was just the right price. After reading the first sentence, I was hooked, and The Three Musketeers became my “reading now” title.

It did take me a very long time to get through, partially because I was reading it during one of the busiest points in my year, so I only had 20-30 minutes at a time to read once or twice a day and partially because I started planning my NaNoWriMo novel and got a little carried away. I expect that, if I’d had the time to read, I would have gotten through it much faster just because it was such a good book that, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to put it down.

There is a chunk of it maybe 3/4 of the way in that slowed down the plot a good deal, and by the time I was nearing the end, I was ready to move on to my next read, so it seemed to drag a little more slowly than I like, but it picked up again and ended with a whirlwind of plot twists and excitement. I would certainly recommend The Three Musketeers to anyone looking to read more classics since, as far as classic novels go, this one is more fun than challenging.

(As a side note: I started reading this before I knew there was a Three Musketeers movie coming out and, after reading the book, I probably won’t be seeing the movie, because the book is amazing, and the movie looks to me as though it will be a bit of a farce with its airships 160+ years too early.)

Learn more about Alexandre Dumas’s life and works here.

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American Gods by Neil Gaiman

American Gods by Neil Gaiman – 9780062109590 — ****

Genre: Fantasy
Time to Read: 20 days

Short Summary:
Shadow’s sentence is almost up. He is counting the days until he can go home to his wife and start over. He can almost taste his freedom around the prison food, but the sweetness turns to ash in his mouth when the warden gives him the news: He is going home a few days early so that he will be able to attend his wife’s funeral. He is part way home when he realizes he has nothing to go home to. When he meets a mysterious one-eyed man who calls himself Wednesday, Shadow is skeptical but, after much persuasion, agrees to work for him as his body guard, driver and errand boy. He soon discovers that the world is not as it seems. Right under the nose of society dwell the abandoned Gods of the past. They live as ordinary citizens with extraordinary abilities, and now the Gods of old and the Gods of the modern world are going to war with Shadow stuck in the middle with both sides vying and threatening for his allegiance.

This is my first experience reading Neil Gaiman, and my expectations were high from the start. American Gods was not at all what I thought it would be, but it didn’t disappoint me in the least. It is very different from any book I’ve read before, both in writing style and subject matter. I especially liked the idea of the old, forgotten Gods trying to live as humans among the people who have abandoned them, and the idea that modern interests (i.e. Computers, Media) have developed into Gods because of the way we devote so much of our lives to them.

I also love the fact that all of the characters, including (or, perhaps especially) the Gods are flawed. It makes them more real. Without getting too deep into theology, I must say that I like the idea of flawed Gods. It gives their followers a stronger connection with them. It’s the same with flawed characters: The perfect hero is the worst kind, unless he’s starring in a Disney film.

American Gods was a great read. It didn’t grab me as strongly as other books I’ve read. I didn’t feel a need to pick it up and read until my eyes refused to work and my brain went fuzzy, and it wasn’t impossible to set down mid-chapter, but I enjoyed every word and look forward to reading more by Neil Gaiman in the future. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique fantasy set in almost real-world America.

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Plague Ship by Andre Norton

Plague Ship (Solar Queen Series #2) by Andre Norton (aka. Andrew North; Andre Alice Norton; Alice Mary Norton; Allen Weston) — 2940011809583 – ****

Genre: Science Fiction
Time to Read: 6 Days

Short Summary:
The Free Traders of the ship the Solar Queen are on a mission to win trade with the newly discovered planet Sargol, which is inhabited by a feline-like race that holds closely to ceremony  and is slow to trust the humans. After arguments with a Company trade ship, a sunset hunt for the planet’s naval monsters and some tough negotiations, it is time to blast off. When the Solar Queen heads for home, however, her crew finds that they have left Sargol with more than they bargained for. As senior crew members begin to fall ill, the ship’s younger recruits–including the ship’s apprentice cargo master Dane Thorson–must find out what has caused this alien plague and stop it before the Solar Queen can be blasted from the sky as a plague ship.

To date, I haven’t read much space science fiction. I enjoy the genre on screen, but no books have really grabbed me. At least not until this one.

Plague Ship was a little slow to start, but as soon as it got rolling, I didn’t want to put it down. It was published in 1956, but it has none of the somewhat tiresome old-fashioned social stereotypes. This may be due to the fact that it had an all male cast (so no lone female had to be saved every time the main character turned around), or perhaps to the fact that it was written by a women under a masculine pen name, but for whatever the reason, Alice Mary Norton’s masterpiece has a classic feel without the strange narrative voice I tend to run into with books from that era or the eye-rolling remarks other writers of that period used to belittle any character that wasn’t a male human Caucasian. It is simply good writing. The rules of her characters’ “world” (universe, in actuality) are extremely well planned. The plot is full of twists that truly are twists. It is full of suspense that keeps you reading to the end, even if the first half of the book is more an exploration of an alien world than it is a story about a “plague ship.” It’s a good, quick read for anyone who likes science fiction, or for anyone looking to try it out.

As a side-note, this is book two of a series called Solar Queen, but it doesn’t seem like reading the books out of order will be a problem. This one volume contains the full plot of the story, so you aren’t jumping in somewhere in the middle, and you don’t have to scramble for the next book right away. That being said, I am hoping to locate the other books in this series in the future, simply because I enjoyed Plague Ship so much, and because I have read that her characters get even better as the books progress.

Check out Andre Norton’s website (and learn more about her life) here!
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The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson – 9781400076314 — *****

Genre: Nonfiction; American History; True Crime
Time to Read: 9 Days

Short Summary:
The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair (also called the World’s Columbian Exposition) was supposed to be one of the most shining moments in the history of Chicago and the United States, but the fair was haunted by a killer who used it as a hunting ground for young woman who had been newly loosed upon the world. The Devil in the White City brings readers back to the days before, during and after the fair, telling of the creation of that history-making exposition and outlining the horrific murders that went on during what was supposed to be the best World’s Fair in history.

I don’t normally read nonfiction, but something about this book caught my attention. I had heard that it was excellent, and that Erik Larson does not write like the stereo-typical history author, so I put it on my list of books to read. By the time I picked it up, I was excited to give The Devil in the White City a try, and I was by no means disappointed when I did.

The book yo-yo’s back and fourth between the creation of the Chicago World’s fair under the watchful eye of its head architect Daniel Hudson Burnham and the increasingly horrific yet ingenious actions of murderer Henry H. Holmes. Larson also puts in little tidbits about other major historical events and persons at that time (for example, he discusses Holmes’s interest in the newspaper articles about the White Chapel murders by Jack the Ripper and mentions how one of the men who worked on creating the White City–a man by the name of Disney–would go on to tell his son Walt about the fair and inspire him to create his own magical city). It also tells about some of the things invented for the World’s Fair that are common place today, and about the way the decisions of the Fair’s construction board changed the future of our country.

I am a fan of history, and I found this book wonderful brain food. I literally didn’t want to put it down, and I found myself actually learning about history in a way that all my past teachers would envy. The Devil in the White City reads like a really good documentary. One of those ones that you watch because there’s nothing else on, then find yourself glued to. I actually caught myself reading with great anticipation–Will they get everything done before the fair opens? Will they catch the killer?–even though I knew that everything had already happened in real life and I had a good idea of what was coming.

My only (minor) complaint about this book is the way Larson handles foreshadowing (if we can call it that in a history book). It isn’t in the least bit subtle, and he has a tendency to do it so early that I caught myself thinking that he’d left out the foreshadowed event (after all, to a history buff, maybe the things he eluded to were common knowledge, and there was no need to explain it any further). Unfortunately, I grew impatient in some cases and looked up the events that he foreshadowed, spoiling the parts in the book when he actually got to them (if it can be considered “spoiling,” since it’s all based on historical events).

I would certainly recommend The Devil in the White City to anyone with an interest in American History, True Crime, architecture and world events. I must also say that, if you are thinking about trying out nonfiction for the first time, this book is an excellent place to start. It doesn’t quite read like a novel, but it is, in some ways, even better than a make believe tale.

Check out Erik Larson’s website!
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